


Haunting Lullaby

by BlueRazAttack



Category: Original Work
Genre: Based on a roleplay, Drama, Family Dynamics, Inspired by last of us, Multi, Original Fiction, Slice of Life, detective stuff, some horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-03-16
Packaged: 2018-10-06 01:08:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10322066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueRazAttack/pseuds/BlueRazAttack
Summary: Mysterious child disappearances have been occurring in a sleepy town near the forest. When a detective continues his search for the culprit he crosses paths with a young girl who may very well be in danger if left to wander the streets on her own like she always has.Though..what if the culprit isn't just an ordinary murderer? Or an ordinary being for that matter.





	1. Sleepy Town

**Author's Note:**

> Been forgetting to post this original story for a while now, so why not take a read now and dive into the tale? Hope you enjoy! This is my first original story on here ^^ If you like it let me know down below in the comments and I'll try to reply best I can. Thank you!

_When you hear the word love, what comes to mind? Family, friends, or perhaps a lover? Whoever comes to mind don't ever forget them. Never take them for granted. Love is elusive, an apparition we often wish would stay. But the world doesn't work that way. It doesn't give us exactly what we want when we want it. That's just how things go._

 

* * *

 

 

Shadows danced under yellow streetlights as rain fell from the darkened sky. The clouds held an eerie pale glow from the moon's attempts at breaking through. There was a reason this town was named Silver Ballad and the frequency of gloomy days was one of them. Such a sleepy, quiet town. Nobody had expected crime of this scale to ever happen in all these years of silence.

Police sirens wailed out into the night, piercing the silence with a panicked noise. Dogs snarled and barked loudly as they ran close behind the police’s heels. Officers hollered and yelled orders to one another as they chased a shadowed figure down.

 

“This way!”

 

“Don't let him get away!”

 

“God dammit where's the detective?!” A young male glanced at the other officer running alongside him. She yelled back, “I bet you he's at home like the lazy bum he is! You just keep your eyes on that criminal and I'll get a hold of him!”

 

“Understood!” He nodded in compliance. With that the young female tightened her grip on the gun, running and hurdling over obstacles as the culprit sprinted further into the forest.

 

“Shit! He's getting away!”

 

“No he's not!” The female accelerated her speed in a moments notice, ducking under low hanging branches and soaring over fallen trees. She aims and fires at the figure, but it glides out of range and disappears into the night. The young officer slows to a stop,seething with anger. The chase was over, the murderer had fled unscathed much to their dismay.

 

“Fuck! God dammit!” The ill-tempered officer kicked at the base of a nearby tree, cursing in between breaths. The man she had just run along with finally caught up spreading his legs and bending over with both hands on his knees to catch his breath.

 

“Relax Judy. Don't, stress out anymore than-ha, we need to. He’ll get what's coming to him,” he panted.

 

“Damn right he will! Wanna bet on what got him so ‘busy’? Huh John?!” Judy spat. John waved it off as if her tantrum was nothing, then stood up straight, “Nah. I'm good. Let's just..head back alright?” She nods slowly, “Yeah...yeah ok. I'm starving anyways.” The two take their leave and order the others to do the same, hopping into their cars and driving off. Judy grabs her phone to make a call, entering each digit with a scowl on her face. As it rang Judy placed the phone near her ear, ready to yell into it. A few rings pass...Nobody picks up, go figure. She grunts in frustration, deciding to leave a message instead, “Raph! I know you're there! Pick up the fucking phone! Where were you?! We needed you here! The bastard got away with another one! You're supposed to be helping us for god's sake! I bet you were busy fucking another stupid dame! Chief isn't going to be happy, I hope you know that!” She hangs up and sighs, slumping back into the passenger seat. John chuckles, “The guy’s reaching his peak Judy. I'm pretty sure he knows that. Relax alright? Karma will fuck him up for us.”

 

“Tch, it better,” she scoffs.

 

On the other side of town a loft of apartments are bunched together. Within one apartment in particular resided the very man they were hoping to see running with them earlier. The place was dark and nearly completely empty. There was very few furniture let alone food. It was a wonder how this man lived at all, his own home wasn't as comforting or welcoming unlike most. In a small office, or, rather his room, the man was lying face down on his desk fast asleep. No one could blame him. The case had kept him up for days, but of course there's no such thing as excuses in this line of business. He adorned a light brown coat, a shirt, and jeans. Though he would've liked to sleep more the world had other plans and knocked the window in his room wide open. Cold air blew through with a low howl, rain rushing in, and curtains rustling. The sound alone made him jump in his chair, but upon seeing the source of the noise his paranoia lowers. He grunts and gets up, shutting the windows properly. The ragged man stood there for a couple minutes, stock still with his hands on the cool glass. Gathering his thoughts the man nods and makes his way into the kitchen, taking note of the blinking light on his answering machine as he passed it. The detective, otherwise known as Raph, plays back the most recent message. Judy’s loud voice cuts through the silence like a blade, reverberating throughout the small apartment. He furrows his brows and grunts, rubbing his temples with a hand before deciding to head out. It was one thing for Judy to be angry with him, but another to be absent during an important case, or rather an important chase.

 

The rain continued to pour, never letting up for a second. It was almost iconic, both for the man and the town. Hand in hand they seemed to work and create the illusion of a dull old town that always cried in mourning over something visitors would never know about unless curiosity nipped at their minds. Raph pulled to a stop at the front of the police station, clambering out and drawing a heavy sigh. Upon entering he finds himself being stared down by the other officers. It was clear by their expressions and whispering they weren't very happy with his lack of aid tonight. A familiar bark caught his attention, “Oh now you show up! Where the hell were you?! We almost had him!” A fuming Judy marches over to Raph with a scowl on her face, seemingly growling as she poked his chest aggressively using  a finger. The detective merely glowered down at her before pushing past Judy and walking towards the Chief’s office.

 

“Tch, old coot..” mutters the young officer. Her friend approached her side and shakes his head, placing a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. Night soon turns to day and the morning is as crisp and clear as could be. The sun shone down onto the Earth, warming it slowly and embracing it in golden rays of light. Birds began to sing good morning to the world, happily flitting about and gliding from one place to another. As sunlight hit every nook and cranny it could the townspeople slowly awoke to the sounds of day, coffee brewing and breakfast cooking. One by one cars left their homes and drove off to either work or school. For one little girl however, neither was the case. Long, black locks fell down her back in a curtain, light skin, and sapphire blue eyes flecked with amber shards. She appeared to be no older than 12, though too young to be walking the streets on her own. No one seemed to care however as the young girl traversed the same route she’d been taking for the past 4 years. Her clothes were worn, ripped jeans, dirty shirt, and shoes. She looked tired and hungry as her frame did little to hide the plead for survival. The young girl walked down the sidewalk on her lonesome, stepping in puddles carelessly and glancing at every store she passed for something worth the begging effort. Every day she put on the best facade she could, lying sure, but it got her food and something to drink. If she was lucky, a nearby restaurant or fast food joint would throw away heaps of partially eaten food ungrateful people left behind. The best case scenario would be getting something sweet for dessert or a simple treat. She eyed a few breakfast houses and McDonald's as she passed them by, hoping someone would magically hear her mind desperately begging for something to eat. The girl spots a pastry shop and almost immediately rushed over, checking both ways before crossing the street. Though she may not have immense knowledge from the lack of education, she had street smarts and that amounted to countless life saving moments. She presses her face against the display window and hungrily eyes the baked goods shown before public eyes. The young lady working inside must've taken notice as the bell attached to the door jingles, resounding her exit out of the shop. With a soft voice she eyes the little girl and asks, “Dear what are you doing out here all on your own? Is your mother close by?” The girl looks down and shakes her head solemnly striking sympathy and slight guilt in the worker’s heart. She remains silent for a moment, as if to pray for the young girl before speaking up again, “Stay right there. I'll be back in a jiffy.” With that said the worker leaves then returns to the little girl with a bag full of freshly baked bread of all sorts and a few muffins.

 

“There, I hope it's enough. I'll get in trouble if my boss finds out, but what the heck. Stay safe little one,” she smiles and heads back inside to continue her day at the bakery. Satisfied, the 12 year old turns on her heels and licks her lips at the sight inside, taking a slice of lemon bread and wolfs it down.

 

“Tch, another sucker for my helpless, quiet girl act. Whatever gets me food though I guess,” she mumbles to herself and ate happily. Despite the uneasiness that fell over the sleepy town of Silver Ballad the girl had no clue about the murders of young children, children her age. The stories all similar yet different from one another. Homeless or not she was in danger, but who was she to care?

 

Morning turned to afternoon and the sun began to blaze hotter in the clouded, blue sky. Said girl now treks the sidewalk in search of something new to wear, wondering which store would be best to attempt this act of thievery. Finally, after searching endlessly, she spots just the right clothing store. The display window held one particular outfit of interest, jeans, combat boots, and a gray shirt with a jean-like jacket over it. Grinning wide she enters the store casually as if she’d always gone here before. With the best poker face she could manage the girl looks around for the exact articles of clothing as the window display had shown, unbeknownst to her however..a familiar detective entered the scene as well. One of the workers at the store began to notice her sketchy behavior, suspicion rising at the notion she was all alone. The young woman who appeared to be of age 26 keeps an eye on the girl as she walks around. Her eyes glint at the sight of the clothing, taking it in her arms and rushing off with her sizes in tow.

 

“Hey! Wait! Stop!” Yells the worker before turning her gaze to the detective, “Sir! Please help! That little girl is getting away with our clothes!” Raph raises a brow and turns his attention to the girl. Once he sees what route she was taking to make it out the doors he steps forth and stops her.

 

“Woah, hey kid easy there,” he stretches his arms out to block her exit causing the girl to frown and glare back at the man.

 

“Get out of my way!” She hollers and slips past him the moment she found an opening. The detective does nothing to stop her from there on, simply letting the alarms blare as the girl made off with the small stack of clothes. The worker however, wasn't too happy.

 

“What the hell was that?! She got away!”

 

Raph eyed the young woman, contemplating in his head about whether or not she was worth his time privately, but ultimately decided on no considering how annoying the lady’s yapping was. He simply mumbles to her how the girl wasn't going to get very far once the police got word of the trouble. Sure, he probably was going to get lectured again for this, but seeing the girl look so desperate and angry for his interference Raph simply couldn't find it in himself to stop her.

 

Sure enough one of the more fast working officers, Judy in other words, leapt onto the case soon as she heard and caught the young girl. However, because of her lack of guardians and contacts, they decided on something else…

 

“Here,” Judy hands the detective a decently sized stack of papers. He raises a brow and mutters, “What is that?”

 

“Oh, just your new task. I didn't even know we had these still, but you can thank John for finding these and coming up with the idea. Since there's a murderer on the loose targeting kids her age, plus the fact you didn't apprehend her earlier this'll act as punishment for your ignorance,” Judy shoves the papers to his chest, forcing him to take them in his hands and look it over. What he read made his eyes widen for but a second before narrowing in irritation.

 

“You can't be serious! Why can't you take care of her?! Forget to lock up your alcohol cabinet or something?” He prods angrily.

 

“Look I'm not the one who's been lazing around while there's a killer on the loose. Until this case is solved you're going to watch over her,” Judy glares at him. Raph grunts and rubs his temples with his right hand, deciding there was no other way out of this. He shakes his head and mutters to himself about the whole thing being utter bullshit, thinking to himself that he should keep his distance. The last thing he wanted was to become attached to the kid.

 

“Alright kid come on,” he approaches the waiting 12 year old who had been talking to John. The officer looks up at Raph and gulps, fearing the worst given what he did. He looks back down at the girl and smiles warmly, “It was nice talking to you, Emily. Raph will take care of you from now on.”

 

Emily looks up at the elder and raises her brows, shocked at the turn of events. With a nod she gets up and walks on ahead to the front doors. John clears his throat nervously before speaking up to the detective, “She's a nice kid...kind of can't believe she's been on her own all these years. I'm sure she won't give you much trouble.”

 

“Don't push it,” was all the gruff detective says before walking after Em.

  
  
  



	2. Familiarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar setting, a familiar role  
> A familiar feeling, a familiar toll

The drive to Raph’s apartment was silent and unnerving to say the least. Neither wanted to talk whatsoever. Rather, they simply chose to sink into the sounds of rain pelting the car as it hummed and watch the world go by in a flurry of lights. Another drizzle had quickly formed even though the sun had barely returned not a couple hours ago. Emily kept her eyes glued to the passenger window, staring at the various lights that zipped by and slowed if she focused her attention onto them. It was uncanny...how in just a few minutes time she found herself in the watchful eye of a detective and the police in general. All because what? She got caught stealing? Why this time of all the days and years she'd done this? Though, none of that seemed to matter at this point seeing as to how she was now sitting next to the old man himself. Well...not that old, but to a kid her age it was old enough. 

 

A sound arose, interrupting the quiet atmosphere for but a moment. Em curls in on herself slightly, a hand moving to cradle her stomach as her lips weighed down into a frown. She was hungry. Raph caught onto this soon as it happened and glances once, then twice at her. His grip on the steering wheel tightens slightly, shifting in contemplating of what to say to her. At last, he came to a conclusion. 

 

“We can uh...get you something to eat if you want,” he suggests hesitantly, unsure of her reaction to this proposal. A nervous tension began to rapidly rise, making the space between them thick with uncertainty. She shakes her head, brows furrowing in anger at her stomach for betraying the strong fighter facade she had tried putting up. With one last look at the weary girl Raph made up his mind and decided not to let the poor thing starve to death. If he did then that'd only make him look monstrous to the others, ruining his reputation. Ultimately he'd get fired on the spot without a second thought. Em interrupts his thoughts and mumbles, “You don't have to get me anything. I'm fine.” 

 

She kept her eyes locked onto the outside world, arms folded over her stomach in a vain attempt to muffle the gurgling. The detective sighed and shook his head. 

 

“Well I can't let you starve to death so whether you like it or not I'm going to get you something to eat,” he speaks gruffly, turning the wheel to enter a nearby drive through. After what felt like hours since Emily had begun to stare out the window, she tears her gaze away and looks over at Raphael. She studied his features intently, trying her best to read him as he picked something out from the menu. He was aged alright, gray hairs poking out from what was left of healthy black locks, wrinkles had begun to form and overall appeared exhausted. Whether he was sleep deprived or not his face seemed to just permanently scream,  _ “I'm tired. I've seen things and barely hold onto what life I have now.” _

__ Yes, she picked up on all that. When one lives on the streets for some time you begin to learn a thing or two, such as picking between those who are easy to guilt trip and those you must steer clear of at all costs.Well, this was just a guess anyways. A guess on him. If she was going to have to live with him until this..case, blows over then she might as well make an attempt to understand him more. Seeing his own gaze shift back to her Emily quickly averts eye contact and goes back to staring out the window. The scent of fried food and beef wafted up the little girl's nostrils, sending her over the edge and eliciting another growl from her stomach. It was embarrassing, getting like this around a stranger. It felt...weird. Like being hungry was her problem alone to take care of. Not someone else's. She could hear a young lady speaking to Raph and hand him the bag of food, but she didn't dare look his way. She didn't like where this was going. It was an odd feeling, being cared for. Sure it was just food..but...he wasn't being guilted into handing her anything. It was his choice despite her protests. This...this feels alien and unnatural...

 

“Hey. Hey kid. Emily! You ok?” 

 

Lost in her thoughts Em hadn't realized how long she'd been spaced out for. She blinks and apologizes for the inconvenience, taking the bag from his grasp and peering inside. Raph wasn't sure what to make of this. Why she suddenly dropped out of reality and fell into a trance like that. What could she have been thinking about? He shook his head free of these thoughts and set them aside for another day, driving off and continuing his trek home.  

The car slowly pulls up in front of the complex, allowing dull yellow lights to flood the interior and color the two. Emily leans forward and cranes her neck up to get a good view of the building. She was at a loss for words, simply staring in awe and curiosity. The sound of Raph clambering out and shutting the door snaps Em out of her trance and follows his lead. With the bag of food in her arms she walks after the detective, still taking in the sight before her. 

 

“It's not much, but it'll do for now,” Raph  begins, “The people around here aren't too bad either. I like to think the person above is a nice young lady heh.” 

 

The two of them traverse the halls up towards his apartment, Em thinking over what to say before smirking and speaks up, “Oh yeah? I bet you do. Probably like to think about that while you sleep.”

 

“Em,” he tries to intervene.

 

“Maybe even to-” “Woah, woah, woah! Alright that's enough kid! Christ, where'd you even..nevermind,” he huffs and runs a hand through his hair, face flushed at her accusations. Emily giggled as he led the way, feeling a tad more comfortable in his presence. 

 

Upon entering the darkened abode Raph flicks on the lights and walks on in. He shuts the door behind Em and locks it, sighing heavily before heading off to the couch and flopping down into it. An arm draped over his face and legs sprawled out, Em simply eyes him and puts the bag down on the counter. She stares down at the polished marble, lost in thought as she pondered...why? Why, why, why, why? She couldn't wrap her head around it. 

 

_ It's best not to overthink it.. _

 

With a soft sigh Emily moves her attention to Raph and approaches him, asking if she can take a shower. The gruff man nods and allows it, saying he’ll get her some fresh clothes to wear as what she stole had to be confiscated. Emily now finds herself in the shower, letting the hot water drench her from head to toe. It felt amazing, after all these years she finally was able to have an actual, normal shower. She sighs out in content, smiling softly as she scrubbed her long hair clean and rubbed her body with a bar of soap. A thought interrupted her motions, slowing her as it took form.

 

_ That's a bit..strange, isn't it? Why would he just happen to have clothes for a girl my age lying around? Unless… _

 

…

 

The world seemed to slow down around her, the water being the only sound she could hear clear as day whilst the rest went silent. Em lowered her head in empathy for the rugged man. She knew automatically what this meant..

 

_ He had lost someone before me. I could very well be treading on thin ice here… _

 

Em blinked free of her trance and took a deep breath, releasing it as she regained control of her body. Deeming herself clean Emily turns the water off and clambers out, grabbing a towel to dry her body with. Glancing at the pile of folded clothes atop the counter Emily sighs and wrings her hair out once more. Soon as she finished Em couldn't believe the sight before her; a little girl who looked like she never went through any trauma in her life. All of the muck and stress washed away with a simple shower as if it was the doorway to another world where nothing matters. 

 

Em flicks the lights off and takes her leave, walking back into the living room only to find Raph already passed out. She scowled in annoyance at the sight.

 

_ Lazy old man. _

 

Believing there was nothing else better to do Emily shuffles back down the hallway and finds the room her new clothes came from. The place looked untouched, like the man couldn't bear to disrupt the stillness and memory the room kept. With a solemn expression said young lamb clambers into the plush bed and drifts off to sleep. It felt like a lifetime ago since she's been able to so much as feel a bed. This was paradise to her, so sleeping was not a problem in the slightest. 

 


	3. Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first original story made public, so be noice plz. Thank you!

As the sun rose and fell another day Emily soon began to realize how itchy her throat felt. Her head throbbed with a steady pulse as heated breaths escaped her nose. She felt like a heater, leaving her to wonder why it was at this very moment her body decided to collapse after all that time outside in the cold. Winter was just around the corner, so perhaps it was no surprise. Still...why now?  

 

“Uugh..great. I doubt Raph has any medicine either..” Em groans, shifting to sit up more in bed and runs a hand through her tangled mess of hair. Her voice sounded nasily from the sudden illness, emphasizing the stage she found herself in. 

 

Em looks left, then right for some sort of answer to her predicament before finally deciding it was best to at least let him know. With a groan she makes a vain attempt to get out of bed, but ultimately all she manages is to sink further under the blankets. 

 

Some time passes and the little girl doesn't move a muscle, simply lying there and staring up at the ceiling. She didn't want to leave the bed out of fear her body would suddenly grow cold and all that heat she built up would vanish. Another minute ticks by and the sound of a nearby door clicking open resounds. Emily perks up at the faint noise, turning her attention to the bedroom door. The steady tap tap of footsteps could be heard trailing down the hall. She speaks up with a hoarse voice, “Raaaph?! Raaph, I'm sick! I need help…” 

 

The footsteps stop and a voice responds just outside her door, “What? I can't hear you. Your voice sounds weird.” 

 

Em grumbles under her breath, muttering something about how childish he was being. 

 

“I said I need help!” Not even a moment in Emily breaks into a coughing fit, body tensing and shaking with each violent bark. The sound brings Raph to open the door and peer inside, approaching the young girl with concern lacing his features. 

 

“Christ kid, not even a day in and you're already dying on me,” he jokes slightly and takes a seat next to her at the edge of the bed. The man brings a hand to her forehead and lets out a deep hum in conclusion. 

 

“You're burning up. Um..just sit tight. I'll go see what I have ok?” He nods and makes his way back to the hall in search of something of use. Figures. His place is half empty. What a time to be alive. 

 

Em sighs, wishing she wasn't sick. Wishing she was still someone's little girl, laying in her own bed, in her own home, living with a loving family. A mother, a father..Maybe even a brother or sister. A big sister. Yeah...that sounds nice. She blinks, noticing a hot trail of liquid running down her face. Reaching up to wipe it away she realizes it was a tear. 

 

_ No..not now. I'm not about to cry in front of the old man! Suck it up Em! _

 

Wiping away the rest she sniffles and lays back down, tucking herself under the blanket snuggly. Oh well, this was as good as it was going to ever get. Just as she was about to fall asleep again Raph re-enters the room with a cup of tea and a plate of toast. Seriously Raph? 

 

“Here, it's the best I've got right now and the only thing you'll manage to get down that throat of yours.”

 

He's serious. 

 

Em glances up at him, then to the food being presented to her. She nods, sitting up slowly and grabs a slice of toast, biting into it despite her stomachs lack of enthusiasm. Looking over at the mug he held Em raises a brow, she couldn't recall ever having tea before. Was it good? Was it outright nasty? She reaches out for it hesitantly before taking hold and having a shy sip. Giving it a moment she shrugs and deems it alright. Certainly helped with her stuffed nose and itchy throat. 

 

“..Thanks by the way. It was...nice of you,” mumbles Emily. 

 

Raph shakes his head gently, “It's no problem pumpkin..Em, it's no problem Em.”

 

He vainly attempts to cover up his freudian slip, averting his gaze from her own. Emily took mental note of this, but decided not to ask. Instead, she settled for finishing up her food and nestling under the plush blankets. Upon seeing the man about to leave Em grabs his sleeve and whines.

 

“Nooo. Wait! Stay here for a bit. Pleeeease?” She wasn't sure why she was acting this way all of a sudden. Maybe it was the rising fever or comfort of the bed that made her woozy, but she found herself imploring him to stick around a minute more. 

 

“What? Are you sure?” Raph asks, unsure of this himself. Em nods, eyes half lidded as sleep began to overtake her.

 

The detective sighed and gently shook his head, reluctantly settling into the spot next to her on the bed.

 

“Your bed is far more comfortable than the couch anyways. Good night Em,” he mumbles. Em could only smile tiredly and slowly drift to sleep, head eventually plopping to rest against Raph's arm. The man shifts his gaze to look at the resting girl, unable to help but feel some sense of responsibility and care towards her. He barely even knew the girl and not a day in he could already feel his fatherly instincts kicking in. 

 

_ This shouldn't be happening..not again.. _

 

Raph looks up at the ceiling and cracks the faintest of remorseful smiles, “Goodnight pumpkin.” 

 

\---------------

 

Another day passed and Em quickly became accustomed to the new lifestyle. She wasn't sure exactly how long she was able to live like this, but it was best to indulge rather than mull over the thought pointlessly. It was fascinating, how fast she adjusted as if none of those years alone on the streets ever happened to her. 

 

The very thought brought a smile to her face, one of victory over the unfortunate chain of events Em felt she had conquered. Still sick with what seemed to be nothing more than a weak cold, Emily curls up on the couch and flicks the TV on. She nuzzles her face into the blankets, using her hands to lift the cloth and create a makeshift mask covering her mouth. It wasn't her intention to use the blanket as a mask, but the fabric just felt so nice against her face. Em flips through about 10 channels before finally landing on one she liked. Her interest peaked, eyes glued to the screen depicting a team of not so ordinary people in space. The latter of them were just young adults, teens almost. Well, except the younger out of them who wore green armor. Emily sat back and sank into her seat, smiling subtly in content. She hadn't felt such tranquility in a long time, unable to recall when she last was able to simply sit on a couch and relax. Curious, Emily picks up the remote again and pulls up the TV Guide to check the time. It was only 7:05 AM. Well, that would explain why the place was quiet and without the old man's presence. Exiting the guide Em slumps into her spot once more, watching the show with great attention. 

 

Unbeknownst to her the door to said man's room had cracked open not minutes ago, silently shuffling into the living room to find her nestled up at one corner of the couch and watching TV at a fair volume. It looked surreal..so familiar and comforting. He  _ missed _ it. It seemed like a lifetime ago since he last saw such a scene before him. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, still sporting bed head from sleeping as he leaned against the hallway entrance and watched her. 

 

Em appeared more content than ever, not snippy or giving attitude in the slightest. Though, perhaps that was a quality they both shared; stubbornness and that sense of pride. Raph stifled a yawn and made his way to the kitchen to brew himself a cup of coffee. Upon hearing the coffee pot clink and clatter, Em turns her attention to the source of the noise and calls out, “Good morning old man! You big jerk, leaving me after I said to stay! Hmmm..” She grumbles and turns away with a huff, playfully acting like she was angry when in reality Em was grateful as can be for all he's done so far. 

 

“Trust me it was a good thing I did, otherwise I would've crushed you with all my rolling around,” he jesters back. Em glances back at him with puffed up cheeks, glaring at the elder. Her expression breaks into another smile, turning her attention back to the TV and the show running. As she watched a thought occurred to her and immediately felt the need to question him.

 

“Hey Raph?” 

 

“Hm?” He says, still busy with the coffee as he counted the number of scoops he added into the machine mentally. 

 

Em kept her gaze locked onto the screen before her, “Are you going back to the station today? It wouldn't be much use to drag me along like this..being sick and all.” Her voice trails off, becoming softer as she ended her sentence and sank further into her seat in guilt. Raph stops for a moment to register what she said, eyes staring down at the container full of ground up coffee for what felt like hours. A moment of silence passes between them before he responds gruffly, “I have to at least check up on them and give a report on my findings. In the meantime..”

 

Em felt herself tense up, she wasn't sure why..no, she knows why. 

 

She was afraid of being alone in a place she's never seen before. Even if it was safer than anywhere else she's been Em still couldn't help but feel vulnerable on her own. Was she.. _ am I...becoming dependent on him?  _

 

“..you can stay in the car,” Raph finishes his sentence at long last, though truthfully it'd only been a minute. One minute and already Emily felt shaken up at it as old memories poked at her mental walls. 

 

Out of instinct she fought back, “Ah..no. I wouldn't want to be a bother. No one has to know I'm here, I'll be fine. It's nothing new, really! I'm used to it.”

 

Four words. Four words was all it took to make the sentence ring throughout the apartment. It filled every room and created a stillness for all to bear. The sound of the TV was drowned out at the ringing of her words. 

 

‘I'm used to it.’ 

 

Something about that didn't sit right with Raph. She'd been alone..for God knows how long. Fending for herself and fighting for survival out in the cold, unforgiving world. No one to turn to..no one to console her on the lonely nights that fell. He couldn't imagine her on the streets during winter or the sweltering heat that would nearly win him over even indoors with air conditioning and water. 

 

“It's fine, Em. I can't leave you here alone, it's against the law. Wouldn't be good for me if I broke that now would it? I need to pick up medicine for you anyways with what I've got. I don't need that cold of yours getting any worse and have you die on me only a few days in,” he lightly jokes in an attempt to cheer the girl up. It appears to work as Em smiles and eases onto her side to lay down, still intent on watching the show. Not long after she did so Emily quickly fell back asleep. The early morning daze and dreary weather blended well with her cold, causing her to fall for sleeps charms once again. With the machine slowly ceasing its constant gurgling Raph pours himself a cup of coffee and approaches Em’s side. He chuckles at the sight of her fast asleep, taking a seat next to her after moving her feet. Taking one last look at her he moves his attention to the TV, having had been curious about what she was watching. 

  
“Huh..not bad,” he mumbles to himself as one of the male characters is shown stranded on another planet, away from his team. For once in his life, Raph felt content. Not upset, not angry, simply and utterly at peace for just this one moment in time.


End file.
